Marketing Your Grain Sorghum & Sugarcane Aphid Findings? (HP)

In spite of demand for grain sorghum particularly for export to China, the huge U.S. corn crop is weighing down not only corn prices (under $3/bu in some areas), but also grain sorghum prices. In Texas sorghum we have fought sugarcane aphid, drought, and several other issues in 2014, and now the price for grain sorghum that many of our growers may receive is much less than what we hoped for when the planter seed boxes were emptied on 2.5 million acres of Texas farmland. Due to inability to hold grain in storage, or the too-high risk in contracting grain sorghum production under Texas rain-fed conditions that receive lower rainfall, farmers may have limited options to achieve favorable options on grain sorghum pricing.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension grains agricultural economist Dr. Mark Welch, publishes a weekly newsletter for Texas grain sorghum and corn that discusses markets, supply, and possible strategies to price these grains and manage their economic risk. You may contact Dr. Welch in College Station at (979) 845-8011, jmwelch@tamu.edu, as well as read recent newsletters here.

High Plains

Sugarcane Aphid Findings?

I am not sure if we expected the appearance of sugarcane aphid in the Texas High Plains this year. After an initial report of sugarcane aphid in several fields in the Texas South Plains the week of August 22, subsequent examination by AgriLife entomology staff found the aphids were NOT sugarcane aphid but yellow sugarcane aphid. Since then, numerous AgriLife entomologists have conducted extensive field sorghum and weedy johnsongrass scouting in the High Plains and along the Caprock into the western Rolling Plains, covering at least 10 counties. To date, no sugarcane aphids have been found. You may refer to the July 30 Sorghum Tip for further Texas sugarcane aphid information.

Sorghum Tips Provided by:

Dr. Calvin Trostle, Lubbock

(806) 746-6101

ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu

For information on grain sorghum or sorghum forages for your area, or for specific questions, contact your local county agricultural Extension agent, an Extension agronomy specialist, or Dr. Calvin Trostle.